McClatchy revenue for July through September dropped 16.4 percent year-on-year to US$451.6 million, according to a company announcement Tuesday.

Total ad revenue declined 19 percent to $370.1 million. Total net income from continuing operations totaled $4.2 million, Media Post reported.

Online revenue was the lone section with good news – it was up 9 percent to about $45 million. It outperformed some other big newspaper publishers, which reported online ad revenue down or flat in recent months, according to Media Post.

Moreover, online revenues now contribute 12 percent of McClatchy's total ad sales, ahead of most of its peers, which typically have online advertising making up less than 10 percent share.

However, the growing proportion of total revenues contributed by online is partially because of the long decline of the total. If total ad revenue had remained the same between the third quarter last year and this year, at around $456 million, the online revenue would still contribute only under 10 percent, Media Post reported.